Saturday, July 16, 2016

7. FIGHTING IN THE FOREST

A battle opposing the Alliance to the villains was being fought in the Forest. These combats started when the villains attacked Gohan and his companions as they were travelling to the northern secret base. The Alliance helped them escape the clutches of Freeza and Wrath-Amon, and Saiyans and Earthlings came to a cave where they met the five members of the Alliance: Rahan, Tarzan, Samba, Leuk and Conan.

To end the rebellion of Wrath-Amon and Freeza in the forest, the Alliance needed backup so they turned to their guest members Spider-Man, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing. At dawn, the heroes came out of the cave that served as their hideout for the night and faced off the villains. These had strengthened their ranks. Dr. Doom, Terrax, Raditz and Turles joined Freeza, Wrath-Amon and Windfang.

The first clashes began and the Fantastic Four went head-on with Dr. Doom. Spider-Man overcame Terrax while Goten and Gohan trounced Raditz and Turles. In another place, Conan was confronting Wrath-Amon and Windfang, his henchman.

Conan: “Always at you evil schemes Wrath-Amon? I’ll enjoy making you pay for what you’ve done to countless people in the world.”

Wrath-Amon: “Do you mean you care about those people or is it revenge you’re seeking?”

Conan: “I’m here to stop you so that other people don’t suffer from your wicked deeds.”

Wrath-Amon: “This thing you’re in called Alliance can’t make you a hero Conan. No matter how hard you try, you’ll always remain a brute. Once a barbarian, forever savage.”

Ryan: “Don’t listen to him Conan. He prattles on to make you lose faith. I know you’re a hero. I saw you like that on Earth.”

Wrath-Amon: “Do you care about my reputation? I’m flattered. You should rather worry about your friend over there.”

Windfang captured Zach, displayed his wings and took off. Ryan responded promptly to that by getting to a tall tree. He climbed it like he was climbing a staircase and overtook Windfang. He hit the villain with a leg strike, stopping him from going any higher. This attack took Windfang back to the ground and as he was falling, his grip on Zach slackened and Zach made a swift move and freed himself from his hold. When all of them reached the ground, Ryan and Zach positioned themselves to fight the winged creature.

Zach: “Let’s show him there are also good fighters on Earth.”

Ryan: “Conan, concentrate on Wrath-Amon. We’ll take care of Windfang.”

Conan: “My friends have more than one trick up their sleeves. Now, where were we monster?”

Wrath-Amon: “I’ve had enough of you barbarian. I’m going to show you something.”

Conan: “Pretty good ’cause I too have something to show you.”

Conan and Wrath-Amon came running towards each other and clashed out noisily. Conan pulled out his magic sword and used it against Wrath-Amon. This one, however, was smart enough to avoid many of the attacks. It happened that Wrath-Amon stripped Conan of his sword and tried to strike him with it but Conan made good use of his shield to defend himself. Then he slapped Wrath-Amon’s hand and the sword fell aside.

Both were now without weapons and they engaged a closer combat. Wrath-Amon pushed Conan to the ground but Conan dragged him along in his fall. That part of forest being slippery, they rolled over a certain distance while continuing exchanging blows. Conan’s blows on Wrath-Amon were more than Wrath-Amon’s blows were on him. After a while, Wrath-Amon could no longer resist the Adventurer’s fists so he called Windfang to take him away. That was how Conan defeated his enemy.

As for Zach and Ryan, they were brilliant against Windfang. They used their hands and legs and entered a battle of punches and kicks. Zach retreated behind Windfang and Ryan remained in front of him. They made a combined attack, which Windfang didn’t see coming. Zach jumped from the ground and smote Windfang with his two feet as he landed on his shoulders. The latter caught him with his wings and tried to fling him away but Ryan unleashed a series of swift fists in his stomach, which strikes left Windfang breathless. Windfang went down on one knee and Zach profited from his defenceless position to electrocute him with a gear, which was among Mr. Fantastic’s gadgets. Before Windfang riposted, Wrath-Amon called him to rescue him from Conan’s hands. He retreated to his master and then took him away from that zone.

During this time, Rahan, Samba, Leuk and Krilin were fighting the ferocious animals.

Rahan: “This one is for me Samba. It’s Wrath-Amon’s pet. I think I can handle it.”

Samba: “Look out Rahan! Its bites are poisonous.”

Rahan: “It can’t hurt me; I’m immune to their bites. Watch how I deal with it!”

Leuk: “I don’t want to be in his place.”

Rahan fought the beast and had it with his knife.

Rahan: “What did I tell you? My only regret is that those-who-walk-bent are acting under the manipulation of Wrath-Amon and they have to pay a high price for that.”

Krilin: “There’s no time for regrets firehair. If you don’t get rid of them, it’s them who will get rid of you. Be watchful comrades; more are coming.”

Samba: “Look out Leuk! Here comes another one!”

Leuk: “Oh no; a whole lot of them. Who sent me here?”

Krilin: “Don’t worry friend; I’ve got your back.”

Leuk: “When I think I should be quietly lying in my bed!”

Rahan: “Samba, let’s stand back to back and fight them.”

Leuk: “And where do I stand?”

Krilin: “Leuk, we’ll do the same as Samba and Rahan. These beasts can’t beat us. Leuk, do you hear me?”

Leuk: “Samba counts on me; everybody counts on me and I won’t let them down. Even the Earthlings are courageously fighting the villains. I can do it. Krilin, I’m with you.”

Samba: “Welcome back Leuk. At the signal, we go take all of them down. On my mark.”

Leuk: “Get set.”

Krilin: “Ready.”

Rahan (yelling): “Raaahaaan…”

Krilin, Leuk, Samba and Rahan went and fought the beasts Wrath-Amon sent against the Alliance and they neutralized them. Three of the animals, however, escaped from the hands of the warriors and reached the place where Noah and Alan were, and threatened them. Luckily, Tarzan wasn’t far away and he came to their rescue. He took them to safety on the branches of a tall tree. The beasts didn’t give up but they kept prowling and roaring deafeningly all around the tree and the noise frightened the children.

Tarzan: “Don’t fear, Noah, Alan. They won’t harm you. I’m here to protect you and nobody shall touch any one of your hair. Do you see that big tree over there? You’ll get there in a snap; if you trust me, of course.”

Noah: “Don’t even doubt it for a second Tarzan. We know you’ll do everything to protect us.”

Alan: “We trust you alright but tell me how we’re getting to that tree and escaping this nightmare.”

Tarzan caught a long creeper dangling from the sky and he told Noah and Alan to hold it tight.

Noah: “Al, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Alan: “Oh yes. I’m so going to enjoy this one.”

Tarzan: “Grip the creeper as tightly as you can children. Whatever the case, don’t cease to hold on until you get to the tree. Once you’re there, let it go and cling to the branches. Have you copied?”

Alan: “Copied that Tarzan. It’s your turn to trust us. Noah, we’re in for a ride.”

Noah and Alan held the creeper tight and Tarzan pushed them with all his strength towards the tree on the other side, after a hollow area. Noah and Alan swung in Tarzan’s style, yelling as they traversed the hollow. On reaching the other side, they let go of the creeper, caught the branches, and stood on the tree. Tarzan was surprised to hear them yell as he did and he shouted to them.

Tarzan: “Hey, who taught you that?”

But the beasts didn’t allow him to hear the response of the children. Two animals climbed the tree where he was and roared at him. They threatened him with their claws and pushed him to the ground. Then the three beasts encircled the jungle boy and fell voraciously on him. Noah and Alan had reached the other side safely and they watched from there. The children howled with fear on seeing Tarzan in that situation. But Tarzan bravely fought the beasts and broke free from their grasp. He took them on a therapy, and looking into their eyes, he talked to them, calmed them down and eventually tamed them. Tarzan called out to the two Earthlings.

Tarzan: “Noah, Alan, I would like you to meet some friends here.”

Alan and Noah shouted with relief on seeing Tarzan safe. The beasts retreated after being appeased and they didn’t attack the heroes anymore. When Tarzan was fighting the beasts, Trunks, the Saiyan, was settling matters with Freeza.

Freeza: “Trunks, dare you attack me again? I’m not the same Freeza you defeated last time. I’ve become stronger since I came back from the Other Dimension. How I had longed for the day to smash you like a little insect under my foot. That day has finally come.”

Trunks: “You should have remained in the Other Dimension for the likes of you don’t have their place here. And leave the inhabitants of the Forest in peace. Allow them to come to self-realization and to find happiness in this sacred environment.”

Freeza: “I refuse. I need them to achieve my goal. I’ll do everything to prevent them from undergoing that brainwashing you call illumination. But for now, my revenge alone matters. You frustrated my plans years ago and today, well today, somebody will have to suffer for what they did.”

Trunks: “I don’t remember exactly what I did to you but it must have been fun. The Earthlings said something about Future Trunks and Mr. Fantastic confirmed I once defeated you. I’d be glad to do it again.”

Freeza: “What? You don’t remember? How dare you? Yes, yes, yes, I see. Everything is now clear. It was you from the future who came in my timeline and destroyed me. Ha, ha, ha! I guess you aren’t as strong as Future Trunks. Ha, ha, ha! It doesn’t even matter; whether it was you or not, it changes nothing. I’m stronger than anybody now and I’m going to deal with you and avenge myself.”

Trunks: “It makes no difference to me either though I can’t understand how some men still go the same road that led them to their destruction, even when they’re given a second chance. Freeza, you should have behaved wisely in the Forest and you would have been rehabilitated.”

Freeza: “Do you think I want such thing as rehabilitation? I will conquer Nootra and all of you super losers will bow at my feet.”

Trunks: “Never. Freeza, you shall be frozen by this sword my friend Tapion[1] entrusted to me.”

Trunks pulled out his sword before Freeza. Freeza also took position and sent sharp fiery rays from his eyes against the Saiyan. Trunks ducked them in his displacements as he disappeared from one place and appeared in another. He hid behind one of the trees in the forest and Freeza looked everywhere and couldn’t find him. When Freeza turned in the opposite direction, the Saiyan came behind him and raised his sword to strike him. Freeza sensed the attack and turned around to stop the blade with his two palms. He continued resisting him until Trunks took some steps backwards. Observing that Trunks couldn’t stand firm, Freeza stretched out a leg and struck him, and Trunks fell down. Freeza formed a fire sword from his own energy, and the two entered a battle opposing one sword to another.

Trunks’ fist soon became mightier than Freeza’s as he wielded Tapion’s sword, his lucky charm. He concentrated all of his energy on his sword and came down on Freeza with one mighty strike, which consumed the energy in the villain’s sword. After Freeza’s sword vanished, Trunks continued in the same vein and struck him repeatedly until Freeza had no energy left. The villain finally went down and Trunks brought his sword on him, and Freeza couldn’t defend himself. On seeing that he was beaten, Freeza pleaded for clemency.

Freeza: “Mercy me. I promise I won’t trouble the villains in the Forest again. Only, spare me. This place is better to me than the Other Dimension.”

Trunks: “What was that again? That you were stronger than me? And I didn’t even transform into Super Saiyan! Face the fact Freeza; whether future or present, Trunks is your weakness. But since I am Present Trunks, you won’t be locked up in the Other Dimension. Keep your word and tell your gang to stand down, and disband immediately.”

The allies of the villains fled, seeing that they were defeated. Freeza also called his band and they all shied away and dispersed in the forest. Before the sun went half its course, the determination and goodwill of the heroes prevailed. They were fighting for a good cause so they overpowered the villains, as the good always overcame the evil. They all punched the air and shouted out their victory.

The heroes once more assembled in the cave to talk about their combats. Before parting from each other, the Alliance thanked the reinforcement for assisting them.

Reed Richard: “You can always count on us. The Forest will be quiet for a while now that this evil band is weakened.”

Johnny Storm: “I doubt Freeza will keep his promise but we’ll be ready to crush them anytime.”

Spider-Man: “Terrax fled after receiving a call. I’m sure he did that on purpose, knowing he couldn’t beat me. I think my web shooters scared him.”

Johnny Storm: “Show-off! Cut the cosmic guy some slack web head. What I think is that he really had an emergency.”

Spider-Man: “Don’t be jealous Torch; you too were not bad against Doom. Anyway, I had my combat finished early enough to watch some of you. Zach and Ryan impressed me most. Windfang couldn’t predict any of their moves.”

Conan: “And you say there are no superheroes on Earth?”

Gohan: “Spidey, FF,[2] you helped us whereas NSF is after the Earthlings. Why?”

Ben Grimm: “It’s a sacrilege to forsake a friend. Samba called, we answered; that’s the Alliance. We’re loyal to each other whatever the case.”

Susan Storm: “Headquarters may consider the Earthlings trespassers yet for conscience’s sake, we couldn’t just leave all of you in the hands of those savages.”

Reed Richard: “These little ones can’t be foes. The proof - they helped us defeat the enemies of Nootra. I’ll testify about that to NSF.”

Ben Grimm: “Why not nominate them for the Nootra Award?”

Johnny Storm: “Extra-Nootrans winning the MAC? Impossible! If anyone has to win, it has to be me.”

Reed Richard: “Warriors, I’ll dare say you were all fantastic. And Trunks, you amazed me. See, I told you you would have Freeza. He can do nothing against you.”

Trunks: “Thanks Mr. Fantastic. So the plot the Earthlings told me about was true. It means before I was born, I came from the future and defeated Freeza? Did my parents know it?”

Ben Grimm: “Not your mother, but Vegeta. How could you have possibly hidden such a thing from him?”

Ryan: “Before you leave warriors, can anyone tell me where to find the Agape? Fantastic Four, you’re explorers and you travel to distant worlds. Have you got an idea?”

Ben Grimm: “Kid, don’t you know the Agape is invisible?”

Alan: “My friend’s dream is to meet Him. Please, help us if you can.”

Zach: “From what we heard from the Alliance, it’s obvious Nootrans know much about Him.”

Johnny Storm: “Didn’t I hear Gohan say it was on your planet He came? You’re the ones to tell us more about Him Earthies.”

Ryan: “But He left a long time ago, even before I was born. I thought He could be on another planet.”

Spider-Man: “What I know is that He’s everywhere, though we can’t see Him.”

Tarzan: “I sometimes feel His presence when I’m in the Forest in the calm of the night, as a man senses the presence of another man.”

Johnny Storm: “It never happened to me jungle boy. It’s only you who can sense the presence of a man when you don’t see him.”

Reed Richard: “The Agape is invisible yet if it were not of Him, no one could survive this life of ours, which is in jeopardy all the time. That’s how I know He is.”

Johnny Storm: “When I was growing up, my dad told me He was living permanently in me, not so Sue?”

Susan Storm: “He lives in every man. I can see Him in Johnny, Ben, Reed and all of you.”

Rahan: “I know He indwells us but like Ryan, I’d like to see Him outside those-who-walk-upright. I’m confident I’ll see Him when I reach the place where the sun sets.”

Ryan: “The astonishing thing is that you know Him, you who’re supposed to be cartoon characters.”

Ben Grimm: “Of course, we know Him. What did you take us for; ignorant folks? It isn’t because you discover it now that it hasn’t always been so. You’re acting like someone receiving a revelation at an appointed time and he’s excited about it, thinking he’s the first to have grasped it when countless people knew it before him.”

Alan: “On Earth, talking about Him is a sensitive issue since people have different beliefs concerning Him. That’s why we’re surprised to hear you talk about Him freely with no complex.”

Reed Richard: “I saw that kind of reaction on a planet we once visited. This made me conclude that people fear what they don’t know. Maybe your people react this way because they don’t have proper knowledge of who the Agape is. I’ve never seen anybody reject His grace once they’ve experienced it; it’s downright impossible for a human to do so. I say this out of experimentation. Absolute beauty is in His person when He is known exactly as He is. Every man loves what is beautiful. No human will refuse to take something beautiful when offered to them freely; unless they’re being proud, hypocritical, fearful or they haven’t yet perceived the beauty in that thing. It’s up to you Earthlings to find out where you failed. Trace that point, which caused your people to misunderstand the message. Once you correct that, you’ll fix everything.”

Ben Grimm: “By the way, how can a man reject himself? The only reason a man may think hostilely towards the Agape is that he has failed to see that he is in Him and that there’s nothing like a man outside of the union with Him. The essence of man is his oneness with the Agape; it’s because of our incorporation into Him that we can be men. Man is defined as that person who is joined to the Agape and partakes of all that He is and of all that is in Him. Outside of Him, there is no man.”

Tarzan: “The secret of the fulfilment of man is our knowledge that we’re already perfect in Him. We had no part to play for this to be. He played our part by assuming every aspect of our life and giving us the crowning piece in His glorified body into which He incorporated us.”

Susan Storm: “Diversities of beliefs, opinions and attitudes can’t stop people from being together and loving each other. These divisions are only in our minds for the truth is, we’re one people. This is what our ancestors saw when they founded this city. Living together doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing with someone; it means accepting people as they are, though we may not believe the same thing. What we can’t deny is that we’re of one essence and whatever difference we acquire in this world can’t outweigh our fundamental nature, that of a human being. We mustn’t fear difference but we must see every man as being part of us since all of us are in the one body of the Agape.”

Reed Richard: “I love your quest Ryan; I encourage you to never give up. You’ll learn many things because of that and one day, you’ll see Him face-to-face just as you see me now. But don’t be surprised if you find Him to be a man.”

Ryan: “I knew cartoon characters were human beings though that sounded fantasy to many. This meeting with you is a confirmation. Having seen you face-to-face, I have the guarantee I shall see Him face-to-face too. He’s my ultimate dream.”

Spider-Man: “Is it just me or does anybody see these guys disrespect us by calling us cartoon characters, like we were some actors in a show?”

Johnny Storm: “That’s how the entire Earth recognizes us Spidey. In their world, people they know, whom they’ve never met and who live on other planets are called cartoon characters.”

Ben Grimm: “I pretend I didn’t hear that crap coming from you Johnny.”

Conan: “Ryan, your dream of meeting the Agape is big. It’s good to have big dreams; life becomes even more interesting with them.”

Noah: “Yes, big dreams pay for they take you where you want, like us in Nootra and me swinging with Spider-Man. Spidey, do you remember my request?”

Spider-Man: “Sorry Noah, but that will be for next time. We’re agents and assignments await us. What’s important now is to keep you safe.”

Reed Richard: “Gohan, we trust you to take our visitors safely to the base.”

Gohan: “Count on us Mr. Fantastic. Farewell friends.”

The reinforcement left after saying goodbye to their friends. In his turn, Gohan showed his gratitude to Samba, Leuk, Rahan, Conan, and Tarzan.

Samba: “It was a pleasure friend. We’re honoured to help those-who-walk-upright whenever they’re in trouble.”

Conan: “Hey Samba, you’re talking like Rahan there.”

Krilin: “We have to be going now. These villains are tireless in their schemes. We can’t tell what they might be up to next.”

Noah: “Shall I see you again Rahan?”

Rahan: “Certainly friend; we shall doubtless meet again. When people love each other, they certainly meet and meet again and again.”

Noah: “Did you hear that guys? Rahan called me his friend and said we’ll meet again.”

Zach: “Little wonder since you’re an expert in making friends with everybody you meet.”

Tarzan: “Our encounter with you Earthlings made me see that men from every galaxy and dimension are the same. We live in this world in relationship and are here to be with one another. We’re all from one stock, of one heart and are destined for a common happiness.”

Goten: “People from different worlds getting along just fine. That’s terrific.”

Trunks: “Even more intriguing is that they know all of us. People of planet Earth know the people of Nootra. I can’t figure this out. It means information circulate among dimensions.”

Conan: “Zach and Ryan proved to me that they knew me deep within and that they trusted me. What do you call them again? Those cartoonists are truly inspired by the Agape to be able to portray the lives of people living in other worlds.”

Leuk: “Beautiful words, yet time is passing and I’m not sleeping here another night. Come on; you must leave now.”